Load equalizer for pumps



MarchlQ, 1935. H, c, RQBIN 'ON 1,994,592 LOAD EQUALIZER FOR PUMPS I Filed June 16, 1933 n w n pm Q C m G W 0 1 Patented Mar. 19, 1935 "A -Eur dearest.

1,994,592-= I LOAD EQUALIZER .FOR :RUMPS- Howard C. Robinson; Pine' Gity, Minn. ApplicationJunel 16 119 33, S,eriaL No 676,120;

v-ciai s. "(01; 103-206)" aload equalizercapabl'eof being easilyand readily attached to'the parts of awindmill without alteration or reconstruction thereofi Another object of the invention resides inconstructing-the load equalizer with a support adapted to be secured to one of the uprights of the windmill-tower and particularly to such types 1 of windmills-as utilize angles in" the construction of the uprights of the tower-.-

An object of theinvention resides in constructing theequalizerwith an arm pivoted to said support andextending diagonallyacross the Windmill towertow'ard the pump rod'thereof.

Another object of the invention. resides in employinga compression coil-spring acting-between the arm and" the support, said coil spring being adapted to be compressed duringthe down stroke of the pump rod to store energytherein andbeing further adapted to impart the stored energy to the pump rod on the upstroke thereof 3m A feature of theinvention-residesin the specific construction of the clampby means o-f which the end of the arm is pivoted to the pump rod. An object of the inventionresidcsinthe specific construction ofthesupport-and its manner of attachment to the-upright of-the windmill-r 'A-still further object ofthe invention resides in the specific construction of the mechanism by means of whichthe spring utilized to store energy is compressed.

Other objects of the invention reside in the novel combination and arrangement of parts and in the details, of construction hereinafter illustrated and/or described.

In thedrawing: i v Eig 1.is a .plan ,sectional'view of a portion. of a.

windmill tower illustrating the application; of an,

515i wherelpowenfor zoperatinslrpumps is p cured from windmills, it frequently occurs thatunless-a stiff wind is blowing the -windmill w-ill' be stopped before the pump-rod reaches the top of 'its-lift-L- ing. stroke. Imnumerous such-cases, howeven. the windmill operates quite freely during there 5 turn stroke ofrth'e pump rod. The presentinvention provides a simple and practical device which may be readily. attached toexisting wind mill structures andby meansiof which the: power developed by the windmill during. the down strike of 'the-pump rodmay he -utilized to as'sist' inraising thepump rod during the lifting or upstroke thereof.

For-the purpose of illustrating 'iny invention- I havevshown-a. portion ofv a windmill-tower whichisind'icated: in its entirety at A. This-tower consists of uprights 10'; 11, 12Tand l3 which are arranged in inclined relation iand which are secured together at suitablerintervals through cross irame members 14 15', 16nandl17. The uprights 10', 11, 12: and 13': are braced throughsbraces 18 and l9 which cross one: anotheriand are secured to said uprightsin the usual manner; In the construction of windmill. towersthe usual :practice is to employtangles for the uprightslO', 11, 12 and 13 as well asfor the cross members. 14, 15, 16 and '17, whichopartsarezriveted or-bolted: together as desired. The braces 181-and19 maylike Wisebe constructedeof :anglesor thesame mayawbe formedof :b'ar material as. showninthe drawing; 39: At theicenter of the windmill tower Ais provided thelusual pumprod 20 whichis.centrallydisposed withrespect. to the uprightslo, 11, Hand 13and is located within: the confinessthereof. Thepump rod;20:is -connected= to the pump and to the crank on the head shaft of the Windmill; and is. operated in theru'sual manner to cause, vertical. reciprocas tionrthereof; Inasmuchaswind-mill construction is wellr knownqin the art andrformsno particularfeatureof. the-invention; a complete windmill has not been-illustrated; i

My invention-proper: comprises. awsupport .21 whiclris; attached to one, of. the uprights :of 117118 windmill ,jtower; In- ;the drawing, the same-has beenillustrated as: attached tov theupright 11,1. This. support includes an angular portiorr 22 adaptedto fit; into; the :reentr'ant angle: of the upright. 11,; This angular portion 1 is constructed.v with flanges 23 and, 24 which issue outwardly; therefrom and-which project outwardly beyondthe edgesofthe legs 2 5.and 26 of upright 11. Thesup port 21 is held attached totheupr-ight .l-lthrough; twoVv-bolts -27 and; 28 which are constructed with angular portions29 adaptedto fit'about the sae lient-angleaof the upright 11 and-which are constructed with threaded shanks 30 adapted to extend through the flanges 23 and 24 of the support 21. Nuts 31 threaded upon the shanks 30 serve to draw the angular portion 22 of the support 21 against the upright 11 and to hold the said support rigidly attached to said upright.

At the lower end of the angular portion 22 of support 21 are provided two ears 32 and 33 which extend outwardly therefrom in spaced relation and toward the pump rod 20. Between these two ears is disposed one end of an arm 34 constructed of bar material which arm is pivoted to said ears through a pin 35 which passes jointly through both of said ears and said arm. This pin is held in position with respect to the said ears through suitable cotter keys' 36which pass through the ends of .said pin. The arm 34 extends diagonally of the tower A; toward thepump rod 20 and is pivotally connected at its outer end to a clamp mechanism 37 which will now be described in detail. Y The clamp mechanism37 comprises a jaw member 38 which is formed with aV-shaped groove 39 extending longitudinally of said jaw Bolts 44 passing through said flanges, serve to.

draw the jaw members toward one another and to clamp theclamp mechanism securely in place upon the pump rod 20 of the windmill The jaw member'38 is constructed .with two ears 45 and 46 which issue outwardly therefrom in .spaced relation and toward the support 21. The outer end of thearm 34 is disposed between these ears and is pivoted thereto through a pin 47 which extends jointly through said ears and arm. Cotter keys 48passing through the ends :of this pin hold the same in position. By means of this construction the pump rod 20 may raise and lower and during the movement thereof the arm 34 is moved from the two extreme positions shown in full and dotted linesin Fig. 2. In the construction of windmills the guides which guide the pump rod 20 are spaced a considerable distance apart. In the installation of the load equalizer, the same is preferably situated'at some location intermediate the guides so that the pumprod 20. may. shift laterally a small amount to compene sate for the movement of the free end of the arm 34 in the arc of a circle. To further compensate for such movement the openings through which the pins 35 and 47 extend'aremade sufficiently loose so that some longitudinal movement of the arm 34 may be had thereby. I

At-the upper part of the support 21 is provided a'bracket 49 which projects outwardly therefrom and extends toward the pump rod 20. This bracket is constructed with a shelf portion 50' which is spaced from the arm 34and overlies. the same. A rib 51*formed on the bracket 49 connects the shelf 50-with the angular portion 22 of support'2l and stiffens and reinforces the same. Extending throughthe shelf 50 of bracket 49 is a link 52' which may be constructed of around rod.

structedat its lower end with a hook or eye 54 1,994,592 which is adapted to hook into a hole 55'jin the arm 34 immediately below the hole 53 in shelf 50.

The upper end 56 of link 52 is threaded to receive a nut 57 and a lock nut 58. A large washer 59 is spring is seated at its lower end against the link 52 and at its upper end against the washer '59.

By means of the nuts 57jand 58 the tension on the spring 60 may be adjusted to meet with the desired requirements.

My invention is installed on a windmill in the q following manner. The load equalizer maybe attached to the pump rod 20 at any locality with respect to the length thereof. Inasmuch as the uprightsof the windmill towergradually come closer to the pump rod 20 near the upper end of the tower it can readily be comprehended that a single length of "operating arm can be employed. In installing the devicethe particular height. oi the tower is first determined atwhich; the distance from the pump rod to thesuprights-corresponds to the dimensions of the equalizer. The support 21 is next placed at such locality within the reentrant angle; of the particular upright on which the same is to be mounted-and'the two V-bolts 27 and 28 applied aboutthe salient angle of the upright and the shanks thereof.- inserted through the-proper holes in the flanges 24 0f said support. Nuts 31 are next loosely, applied; The clamp 37 is then placed about the pump rod and the bolts 44 inserted through the holes'in the flanges 42 and 43 of said clamp,- these boltspalso being loosely, applied tothe clamping device. It will" be readily comprehended that considerable lateral play is possible with the pump rod so thatr the uppermost position of the pump rod. [The entire equalizer is now raised or lowered, as the X case may be, until a slight lateral movement of the pump rod toward the upright is procured. I,

The various-bolts are then tightened down which securely. attaches the support 21. to the upright v and the clamping device 37 to. the pump-rod."

The device is now ready'for use.

lows: When'the arm 34 is at its uppermo t1 05iv tionverylittletension is given to the spring 60.

As the pump rod lowers arm 34 is swung down wardly which causes thelink 52 to be downwardly,'the said link being pivoted.to arm 34 through theeye 54 and the hole 55in said arm and sliding through the hole 53 and. shelf .50 of;

bracket 49. This causes the spring 60 to be CQm? pressed and the energy required to compress it to bestored therein. When the pump rod starts on its upstroke, which is the lifting stroke. of-the I pump, the energy stored in springISOisfreed' andf delivered to the pump rod' through the arm 34;

This causes the powerrequired by the to foperate the pump rod to be'g'reatly' reduced whereby less wind is required to operate the pump than would otherwise become necessary; By

means of this construction the power developed by the windmill is more uniformly applied; thereby requiring less force than would otherwise be necessary. Theamountjof energy stored can to a certain degree be adjusted through adjustment of the nut 57 'and-locknut/5'8. Intehis manner substantially-uniform action can be had 50 The operation of .the load equalizer is as fol-,

and a smooth and easy operation of the pump procured.

My invention is highly advantageous in that an extremely simple and practical device is provided whereby the load on a windmill may be equalized so as to permit of pumping water uniformly and so as to cause the windmill to travel at a substantially uniform speed. With my invention water can be pumped with considerably less wind pressure than would be required without the use of the invention. The device is extremely simple in construction and has no complicated parts to get out of order. The tension of the spring and the amount of energy stored can be adjusted to meet with the requirements. The device is easily attached to existing windmill structures without alteration or reconstruction thereof. No complicated tools or apparatus are requiredin mounting the device on a windmill. Due to the manner of attaching the device to the windmill no adjustment of the length of the arm needbe made. My invention can be constructed at a reasonable cost and by means and apparatus readily available.

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is. I

I claim:

1. An equalizer for use, a tower including a plurality of uprights, constructed of angles, one of said uprights being arranged with its reentrant angle facing inwardly of the tower and a vertically reciprocable rod disposed within the confines of said uprights, said equalizer comprising a support having an angular portion fitting within the reentrant angleof the specifically referred to upright, and extending outwardly beyond the edges of said upright and a V-bolt fitting said upright about the salient angle thereof and extending through the outwardly projecting portions of said support, an arm pivoted to said support and extending from said support toward said rod, means for pivoting said arm to said rod and a spring acting between said arm and support. I

2. A load equalizer comprising a support, an arm pivoted to said support and extending outwardly therefrom, a member formed on said support and issuing outwardly therefrom in the same direction as said arm, said member being disposed in overlying relation with respect to said arm, a link pivoted to' said arm and extending through said member, and a spring encircling said link and acting between said member and the end of said link and a reciprocating member connected to said arm.

3. An equalizer for use with a windmill having a tower including a plurality of uprights and a vertically reciprocable rod disposed within the confines of said uprights, said equalizer comprising a support, means for attaching said support to one of the uprights of the tower, an arm pivoted to said support and extending toward the rod, means for pivotally connecting said arm with the rod, a bracket formed on said supportand extending outwardly therefrom in the same direction as said arm and spaced from said arm, a link pivoted tosaid arm and extending through said bracket, and a compression coil spring encircling said link and acting between said bracket and the end of said link.

4. An equalizer for use with a windmill having a tower including a plurality of uprights, constructed of angles, one of said uprights being arranged with its reentrant angle facing inwardly of the tower and a vertically reciprocable rod disposed within the confines of said uprights, said equalizer comprising a support having an angular portion fittingv within the reentrant angle of the specifically referred to upright, a clamp for holding said support attached to said upright, an ear issuing outwardly from said support at the lowermost portion thereof, an arm pivoted to said ear and extending from said support toward said rod, a bracket issuing outwardly from said support above said ear and spaced therefrom, a link pivoted to said arm and extending through said bracket, and a compression coil spring encircling said link and acting between said bracket and the end of said link.

5. An equalizer for use with a windmill having a tower including a. plurality of uprights and'vertically reciprocable rod disposed within the confines of said uprights, said equalizer comprising a support, means for attaching said support to one of the uprights of the tower, an arm pivoted to said support and extending toward the rod, means for pivotally connecting said arm with the rod, a bracket extending outwardly from said support in the same direction as said arm and spaced from said arm, said arm having an opening therein, and a link passing through said bracket, said link being formed with an eye received within the opening of said arm, and a compression coil spring encircling said link and acting between said bracket and the end of said link.

6. A load equalizer for use with a vertically reciprocable rod of square cross section and a tower including four uprights symmetrically disposed with respect to said rod, said equalizer comprising a support, means for attaching said support to one of said uprights, an arm pivoted to said support and extending diagonally across the tower toward said rod, a pair of plates extending transversely of said arm and having V-shaped grooves for the reception of. opposite corners of the rod, means for clamping said plates together, an ear issuing outwardly from the plate nearest said arm, said ear being disposed near the center of said plate, means for pivoting said arm to said ear, and a spring acting between said arm andsupport.

7. An equalizer for use with a windmill having a vertically reciprocable rod and a tower provided with uprights, said equalizer comprising a single support attached to one of said uprights, an arm pivoted to said support and connected to said rod, a member extending outwardly from said support in the same direction as saidarm and spaced therefrom, a spring seated at one end against said member and extending in a'direction away from said arm, and means for connecting the outer end of the spring with said arm.

HOWARD C. ROBINSON. 

